


soft as velvet and sweet as strawberries

by dykerey



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Getting Together, Kisses, demi inej, pan nina, thanks xoxo, this is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-20 12:19:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8248685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dykerey/pseuds/dykerey
Summary: "You, Nina. You."
- 
or: nina likes to flirt with inej but never does anything about it. inej would like to change that.





	

**Author's Note:**

> thanks 4 clicking on this!! i love ninej and ck ruined me thanks leigh. shoutout to the babes of the shook gc for the encouragement <33 comment if u find any parallels in this bc there's a few :-)
> 
> listen to "set me free" from the get down soundtrack (and watch the get down!!!!) bc that's what i listened to when i wrote this. set ME free herizen
> 
> find me on tumblr as thheartrender n twitter as nlnaszenik!!! leave comments n kudos and i will kiss u.

Today was the day, Inej decided as her brisk walk carried her to the table where all her friends sat. Today she would finally tell Nina how she felt about her, and if Inej was lucky, their relationship would transcend the paltry “just friends” status it currently resided in and blossom into something beautiful.

 

“Took you long enough,” Jesper remarked as Inej plopped down next to him, his boyfriend Wylan on his other side. Inej rolled her eyes, set her lunch tray down, and began to eat. The cafeteria food at their school had a surprisingly good array this week, and she suspected it had something to do with Kaz either threatening or bribing the cafeteria stuff to put out the good food.

 

“Where’s Kaz?” Inej asked after she had swallowed her food and her mouth was clear. Jesper shrugged in response, and when she looked to Wylan for an answer, he copied Jesper’s shrug to a T.

 

Jesper turned to his boyfriend, a puzzled look on his face.“Why did you shrug like that?” He said with narrowed eyes. 

 

Wylan shrugged again, then responded, “I’ve been practicing.”

 

Inej laughed quietly. Their relationship was one full of teasing and playful banter, and she was loath to admit that she wanted something like that. They’d been together for close to two years now, ever since freshman year, and their love for each other was evident in everything they did.

 

“So,” she started, and the two quit their bickering and looked to her expectedly. She swallowed the lump in her throat and continued. “Today I’m going to tell Nina,” she paused, pushing the nerves in her stomach down and forcing the next words out of her mouth. “I’m, uh, going to tell her how I feel about her.”

 

The notion was terrifying; Inej wasn’t usually one to confess, but Nina certainly seemed interested in her and wasn’t doing anything about it. She flirted with her nonstop but hadn’t acted on it yet, and so for once Inej was taking matters into her own hands and coming clean. The thought nearly paralyzed her in fear, and the shocked silence from Wylan and Jesper wasn’t doing the butterflies in her stomach any favors.

 

Jesper breathed out slowly, his smile growing as he exhaled. Clasping his hands in prayer position, he climbed onto the tabletop and shouted, “I’M ALIVE!”

 

Wylan shot his boyfriend a glare, sent Inej a weary look, and said, “Get down or I’m telling the entire cafeteria that you sleep with five lights on in your room at night like a baby.”

 

“I don’t care about that, I only care that our beautiful, lovely, dear friend Inej here is finally coming into her own as a lesbian and is going to get a girlfriend. God smiles down on us today.” He announced dramatically, and Inej sighed and put her head in her hands. By now half the cafeteria was looking at Jesper, who had his clasped hands thrust above his head and was currently praying loudly and exuberantly.

 

Inej chanced a glance over at Nina, who was seated on the other side of the cafeteria. Nina’s curious eyes roved over the scene on the tabletop and then settled on Inej. Nina smiled broadly at her, her face welcoming, and Inej felt her heart skip a beat.

 

“Jesper, please get down,” she demanded quietly, her gaze still locked onto the object of her affections. “You’re embarrassing not only yourself but me as well.”

 

“Oh, shit, sorry, Inej,” he swore, then bowed extravagantly and stepped down. “Go get her.”

 

“Good luck!” Wylan said, and she sent him a quick smile and then stood up, her heart beating out a rapid rhythm in her chest.

 

The walk over to Nina’s table was faster than she had expected, and she soon stood in front of Nina, her mind blank.

 

_ Here goes nothing _ , she thought, and then opened her mouth to speak.

 

****

 

Nina watched Inej walk over, her long, tan legs accentuated by the maroon dress she had chosen to wear today. Nina loved her sense of fashion; Inej always looked elegant, mature, and tasteful at school while still managing to appear youthful and cute as well. Her black hair swayed nearly as much her hips did, and Nina thought it sinful how beautiful her lips were.

 

Inej had always taken her breath away, but it was especially bad today, it seemed.

 

Nina wasn’t stupid; she knew that Inej was going to confess to someone, and they’d been flirting since they had become friends last year, but she didn’t expect it today, much less right now.

 

“Nina, can we talk?” Inej asked, and Nina’s eyes watched her lips move as they formed the words. 

 

“Always, darling,” she responded, a coy smile on her lips, and she heaved herself off the bench and took Inej’s arm in her own. “Shall we go somewhere more private?”

 

“Actually, I’d like to do it right here,” Inej said, her face red, and then: “I’m afraid of hiding. I like girls, Nina, and one girl in particular.” She bit her lip, and for a second Nina wished it was her teeth that were biting it instead.

 

“And who might that be?” Nina asked, slipping her arm out of Inej’s and taking a step closer so they were only a breath’s width apart. Inej’s hand ghosted Nina’s elbow and slid down to touch her hands, and then she took Nina’s fingers in hers. Nina’s breath caught, and a touch of a smile hiccupped through the mask on Inej’s face.

 

“You, Nina. You.”

 

Something bright, wonderful, incredible, showstopping, breathtaking tore through Nina’s chest, trailing fire as it went. She felt freer now than she had ever before. Inej had frozen in place, her face the word “paralyzed” personified. 

 

“Inej,” Nina said, a little breathlessly, her head a mess and her heart nearly thumping itself out of her chest, “you have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear that.”

 

Nina watched Inej’s expression, and the joy that bloomed on it nearly stopped her heart. She’d dated other girls, and other boys, too, and even some who weren’t either, but Inej had always been the exception. Nobody made her feel like Inej did, took her breath away with every action like Inej did, had caught her attention like Inej did. 

 

“You-you’re serious?” Inej asked, and the hope in her voice made Nina’s heart ache.

 

“As a heart attack,” she responded, throwing a wink Inej’s way, pleased at the way Inej’s dark cheeks reddened. 

 

“Then is it okay if we-” Inej started, then cut off abruptly, her hand coming to rest on Nina’s cheek. Nina was positive she was as red as a fire truck now, but she was euphoric and really didn’t give a fuck anymore.

 

“Baby,” Nina said, placing her fingers at the nape of Inej’s neck, “I don’t even know why you would ask. It’s always yes with you.”

 

Kissing Inej was like all of her wildest dreams coming true. She felt dizzy, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of the adrenaline or just because Inej was so stunning. Her lips were soft as velvet and sweet as strawberries. It was something straight out of a daydream, but it wasn’t a fantasy anymore; this was real life, and Nina Zenik was kissing Inej Ghafa. She smiled into the kiss and felt Inej smile back.

 

The most disappointing part about the kiss was the fact that it had to end. She pulled away, her lips a little swollen, her hair a little matted from Inej’s hands all over it. Inej was in a similar state, and  _ damn _ , did she look good post-kiss. Nina could get used to seeing this.

 

Inej exhaled slowly and locked eyes with Nina. “That was good.”

 

“Beyond, even,” Nina responded happily, taking Inej’s hand. “Would you mind doing that again?" And then, before Inej could even open her mouth: "Wait, I have a better offer. Would you mind becoming my girlfriend so we can do that whenever we want?”

 

“Done and done,” Inej laughed, her face glowing, and Nina drank it in like it was the strongest liquor and she wanted to get piss drunk. 

 

“Now, let’s stop talking, shall we? I think there are far better things our lips could be doing.”

 

“GAY!” Jesper yelled from across the cafeteria, cutting into their own bubble. Their separate reality popped and Nina realized the entire lunchroom was watching them intently, like they were determined to soak in every detail. Nina took a minute to let it all sink in, then laughed loudly.

 

“DAMN RIGHT!” She yelled back, and Inej rolled her eyes fondly and squeezed Nina’s hand. 

 

Inej’s lips met hers again, and her only thought was that if this was all Nina managed to accomplish in life, she would die happy. 

 

“Girlfriend has a ring to it, huh, baby?” Nina asked once they broke apart, and Inej flushed to her ears. 

 

Nina’s heart stuttered in her chest and she smiled as Inej said quietly, “It certainly does.”

 


End file.
